Center wall furnace



ug- 2, 1932- R. A. wAGsTAFF 1,869,591

CENTER WALL FURNACE Filed NOV. 30, 1928 (Dl-n- 15 molten charge.

Patented ug. 2, V1932 UNITED STATES y IPA,TENT OFFICE RICHARD. A. wAGsTAFF, on SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH,1AssIGNOR To AMERICAN si/IRLT- ING & REFINING- COMPANY, OF 'NEW YORK, NYY., A CORPORATION OF NEW .InnsnrY CENTER WAIII.V FURNACE Application filed November 30, 1928. Serial No. 322,752.

The invention relates in general to metallurgical furnaces, and more particularly, to a metallurgical furnace of the reverberatory type.

According to one form of the invention, a reverberatory furnace is provided with a structural center wall extending from the firing end of the furnace longitudinally toward the flue end through the smelting zone.

Feed openings are provided in the center of the roof over the center wall so that the center wall is covered with a mound of charge sloping toward the side wallsand forming valleys therewith for the reception of the Suitable burners may be provided both in the back wall and in the side walls near the back wall for supplying the necessary heat to smelt the charge.

The invention also consists in certain new and orginal features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed. n Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, the Inode' of its operation and the manner of its organization may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which Fig. 1 is a cross section through the furnace on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the furnace on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and n Fig. 3 is a plan section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 of a part of the furnace. Y

1n the following description and in the claims parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

In the drawing accompanying and formy ing part of this specification, a practical commercial embodiment of the invention .is shown, but as such illustration `is primarily for purposes of disclosure, it will be under- Ymagnesite. v

stoodthat the structure may be modified-in Y i variousrespects without departure from the broad spiritvand scope of the invention as liereinafer defined and claimed.

' yReferring now to the drawing, the furnace comprises `,a bottom or hearth 1, side walls 2, an arched roof 3, a front end wall 4 at the flue end and a back end wall 5 atthe ring end. Suitable structural members are providedv Afor ,y properly holding thel parts in proper relation in ways well known in the art, these members being denoted generally by 6. YThe side walls 2 at points subjected tothe contact ,of the molten charge are lined with linings-f7.1of non-corrosive brick such as VExtending longitudinally of the furnace is a pyramidalcenter wall 8 of structural ybrick having sloping faces 9`and extending fromlthe back wall 5 ypart way the length of the furnace, through the smelting zone.

plurality in the roof over the center wall, these openings Connecting with hoppers 11vwhich open on an upper V.level 12 bywhich the hoppers may be filled with charge.

Disposed along the back wall 5 and along the side walls2 are a plurality of burners forveitherpowdered coal or oil. The burners along the back wall are denoted by 13 andthe burners along the side walls by 14,A

.the latter being disposed at an angle to the length of the furnace, as illustrated.A l

In operation, the furnace is charged with orefrom the upper level'12 through the center feed openingsvlO, the ore denoted by 15 covering and protecting the center wall 8.

vThe surfaces of the ore are determined by the angleof repose of .the material. Thecharge forms acentral mound covering the vcenter wall 8 and preferably the oreis so fed and the vcharge openings 10 so disposed that the wall is kept covered continuously, forming a substantially continuous mound of ore having fora core the structural center wall 8.

As the burners 13 and 14 heat the furnace, the charge smeltsy and the melting charge runs down into the valleys denoted by 1 6 formed'by the side walls 2y and the charge l15,'the molten charge running to the front of feed openings 10 are provided or flue end of the furnace where it is removed through doors (not shown) in a manner well known in the art.

Thus a reverberatory furnace is provided having a large smeiting area and economical of fuel consumption. The center wall also displaces a large amount of ore and metal, thereby reducing the amount of ore and metal tied up in the furnace. The disposition of the .charge is such that the molten charge naturally runs to the side valleys 16, then being conducted to the flue end of the furnace where it is removed.

lVhile certain novel'features of the invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in thea-art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A reverberatory furnace comprising a firing end, a flue end and a roof and side walls connecting said ends and extending longitudinally of the furnace, there being a smelting zone between said ends, an auxiliary center furnace wall located between said side walls and extending within the smelting zone and longitudinally of the furnacev and above the bath line thereof, said roof having center charge holes arranged longitudinally over said center wall for covering said center Wall with the charge to be smelted, and means at the firing end for firing the furnace, said charge receiving heat both directly from said firing means and indirectly from said firing means in the form of heat reflected and radiated from said side walls and roof.

2. A reverberatory furnace comprising a firing end, a iiue end and a roof and side walls connecting said ends and extending longitudinally of the furnace, there being a smelting zone between said ends, an auxiliary center furnace wall located between said side walls and extending within'the smelting zone and longitudinally of the furnace, said roof having center charge holes arranged longitudinally over said center wall for covering said center wall with the charge to be smelted, and means for firing said furnace from said side walls, said firing means extending a substantial distance longitudinally of the furnace and being directed somewhat transverselyk of theV furnace against the charge covering said center wall, said charge receiving heat both directly from said firing means and indirectly from said firing means in the form of heat reflected and radiatedl from said side walls and roof.

InV testimony whereof I have hereuntoset my hand.

RICHARD A. WAGSYTAFF. 

